Stacks of absorbent tissue paper material are used for providing web material to users for wiping and or cleaning purposes. Conventionally, the stacks of tissue paper material are designed for introduction into a dispenser, which facilitates feeding of the tissue paper material to the end user. Also, the stacks provide a convenient form for transportation of the folded tissue paper material. To this end, the stacks are often provided with a packaging, to maintain and protect the stack during transport and storage thereof. Accordingly, packages are provided comprising a stack of tissue paper material, and a corresponding packaging.
During transportation of packages containing tissue paper material, there is a desire to reduce the bulk of the transported material. Typically, the volume of a package including a stack of tissue paper material includes substantial amounts of air between panels and inside the panels of the tissue paper material. Hence, substantial cost savings could be made if the bulk of the package could be reduced, such that greater amounts of tissue paper material may be transported e.g. per pallet or truck.
Also, when filling a dispenser for providing tissue paper material to users there is a desire to reduce the bulk of the stack to be introduced into the dispenser, such that a greater amount of tissue paper material may be introduced in a fixed housing volume in a dispenser. If a greater amount of tissue paper material may be introduced into a dispenser, the dispenser will need refilling less frequently. This provides cost saving opportunities in view of a diminished need for attendance of the dispenser.
In view of the above, attempts have been made to reduce the volume of a stack comprising an amount of tissue paper material, for example by applying pressure to the stack so as to compress the tissue paper material in a direction along the height of the stack.
However, it is known in the art, that when subject to relatively high compacting pressures, the properties of the absorbent tissue paper material may alter, and the perceived quality of the absorbent tissue paper material may be impaired, e.g. the absorbency may be reduced. Also, stacks having been subject to relatively high compacting pressures may suffer from the plies of the stack becoming attached to each other, such that stack resists unfolding and consequently the withdrawal of tissue paper material from the stack is rendered more difficult for a user.
Another problem with packages providing highly compressed stacks in a packaging, is that the compressed stacks will strive to reexpand. Accordingly, the outermost panel surfaces of the stacks will exert a force, which may be referred to as a springback force, on the packaging when inside the package. Moreover, when the packaging is removed, the springback force will cause the stack to reexpand. Accordingly, a stack as provided without its packaging, ready for introduction into a dispenser, may be considerably less compressed as compared to the same stack when within its packaging.
Also, the spring back force may pose problems during the package manufacturing process, in particular when it comes to applying the packaging to the stack to form the complete package. In facilities for mass production of packages, which may produce about 100 packages per minute, it is necessary that all steps in the manufacturing may be performed within a limited amount of time. In this context, it has proven difficult to apply a packaging such that it is able to resist the springback force of a relatively highly compressed stack within the available limited amount of time.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved package comprising a stack of tissue paper material and a packaging.